Car-axle-box lid.



No. 644,035. Y Patented Feb. 20, I900.

- .1. w. STEPHENSON.

CAR AXLE BOX LID.

(Application filed Nov. 4, 1899.) v (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented Feb. 20, I900. J. W. STEPHENSON. 1

CAR AXLE BOX LID.

[Application filed Nov. 4,-'1s99.

3 Shouts-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

R O T N E V N THE Norms PETERS o0. pmmlrmo. WASHINGTON, n, c.

' No. 544,035. Patented Feb. 20, 1900.

. .1. w. STEPHENSON.

CAB AXLE BOX LID.

(Applicati m filed Nov. ,4, 1899..) (No Model.) 3 Sheeis-Sheet 3.

W WITNESSES INVENTOR n4: mums PETERS co., pum'o'umm HAW D4 cv NITED STATES Prion.

PATENT JOHN W. STEPHENSON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIOIVAIJ MALLEABLE OASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-AXLE-IBOX LIE-)I.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,035, dated meat 20, 1900.

Application filed November 4, 1899. Serial No. 735,758. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. STEPHENSON, residing at 520 Euclid avenue, Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car- Axle-Box Lids, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows in vertical section, on the line I I of Fig. 2, an axle-box having a lid provided with my improved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line II II of Fig. 1, showing the inner side of the lid. Fig. 3 shows in sectional plan view a modified construction of hinge-pin. Fig. 4 shows in cross-section the fitting of the leaf-spring in the socket of the lid, illustratinga modified construction. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view showing a modified construction of the spring and hinge, the section being on the line V V of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line VI VI of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view on the line VII VII of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a similar View on the line VIII VIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is an inside view of the hood.

The purpose of my invention is to overcome the difficulty which has been experienced heretofore in fitting lids to car-axle boxes and to supply a lid of simple and practical construction without complication of parts and which can be applied to a box without need of bending or deforming the lid or its journals in order to make it fit.

around the margin of'the box.

5 is the usual ing at the top of the box, having a hole for the pivot-pin 6, which passes through the lug and through the usual ears 7 on the lid. Instead of fitting closely, so as to be incapable of lateral or rocking motion, as heretofore, the pivot-pin 6 is a rocking pivot-pin capable of oscillating in a direction transverse to the plane of the face of the box, in order that even if the lug is out of line with the edge of the box, which is liable to occur in the process of manufacture, because it is impracticable to have the hole in the lug always cast uniformly, the parts can adjust themselves so as to bring the axial line of the ing into parallel alinement with the edge of the box. For this purpose I form at the middle of the pin an enlarged bearing portion 8, which may extend entirely around the pin, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or which may be a boss 8 at one side only of the pin, as in Fig. 3, and the hole in the lug 5, through which the pin passes, is made so that the pin may have a lateral rocking motion on this bearing portion as a center. By properly shaping the hole in the lug 5, so that it shall be contracted at the middle at 5 and bear against the pin, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and shall be of greater diameter at other points, this rocking motion may be permitted without enlarging the pin or forming any boss upon it; but I prefer the construction which I have shown in Fig. 2. At its ends the pin mayfit neatly in the ears of the lid.

Within my broader claims the spring 9 may be exposed, as shown in the drawings, which I consider to be the preferable construction, or it may be inclosed as in the ordinary Master Oar-Builders lid. At one end it fits in a socket 10 on the lid, and at the other end it bears upon the face of the lug 5, which for this purpose is rounded in the direction of its length, as shown at 5 in Fig. 3-2'. e., in a direction transverse to the length of the spring 9so that the spring may accommodate itself to the rocking adjustment of the lid-pivot. Instead of using a spring with a fiat face bearing upon acurved lug Imay employ a spring having at the end a curved face 9, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, bearing upon a lug with a fiat face, which will accomplish the same purpose, the curvature in one case being upon the spring and in the other case upon the ing. The spring is held firmly in place at one end by the socket 10, and at the other end it extends within the hood or bridge piece 11 at the top of the lid, and is confined therein at the edges between walls 11. This construction enables me to use a straight spring without danger of it being jarred out and lost from the lid, and I thus render unnecessary the operations of heating and bending to which the springs have been subjected heretofore in forming the usual retaining lugs or hooks. Such operations are objectionable because of the detrimental influence which they have upon the temper ofthe steel. prefer to form the socket 10 with a rounded edge 12, which enables the spring to be driven into the socket readily withoutneed of grinding ofi and rounding the edges of the spring.

The operation is as follows: The parts are assembled in the ordinary way, the ears and lug of the lid and box being placed in line and the pin placed in them and secured by a cotter or by upsetting its end. iVhen so assembled, the lid will readily adjust itself in proper alinement with the face of the box, for as, explained above, even if the hole in the lug 5 is out of parallel with the edge of the box the pin will still adjust itselfin proper line and the lid will fit truly, so as to make a neat joint and to exclude dust from the box, which is the function of the lid, but which hitherto has often been very imperfectly attained. The parts of my improved device are not apt to be cramped or to move with excessive friction, but by moving freely they enable the spring to act with full force.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show a modification of my invention in which the spring 9 has a bearing on a curved face, not only on the lug 5 at the upper end, but also at the lower end in the socket 10 on a face 5, which is curved in a direction transverse to the length of the spring, thus giving it greater freedom of adj ustment.

It will be understood by the skilled carbuilder that my device may be applied to lids and boxes of various styles and that in the form of my invention shown in the drawings my device can be removed from the box to which it has been applied and can be replaced at any time with lids having pivot-pins of ordinary construction.

I claim- 1. A journal-box having a lid adapted to swing to and from the face of the box, and a spring, said lid being pivoted on an axis oscillatory in a direction transverse to the plane of the face of the box whereby it is adapted to adjust itself to its seat on the box; substantially as described.

2. A journal-box having a lid, a spring, and a pivot-pin, said pivot-pin being oscillatory in a direction transverse to the plane of the face of the box; substantially as described.

I also 4 3. A journal-box having a lid adapted to swing to and from the face of the box, a lug for the pivot-pin and a pivot-pin fitting in the lug and bearing therein at the middle portion only, whereby the pivot-pin may rock to permit adjustment of the lid to the box; substantially as described.

4. A journal-box having a lid adapted to swing to and from the face of the box, a lug for the pivot-pin, and a pivot-pin fitting in the lug and having at its middle an enlarged hearing portion, whereby the pivot-pin is adapted to rock to permit adjustment of the lid to the box; substantially as described.

5. A journal-box having a lid adapted to swing to and from the face of the box, said lid being pivoted on an axis oscillatory transversely to the plane of the face of the box, whereby it is adapted to adjust itself to its seat on the box, and a leaf-spring hearing at one end 011 the box and at the other end on the lid, one of the bearing-surfaces being curved in a direction transverse to the length of the spring; substantially as described.

6. A journal-box having a lid adapted to swing to and from the face of the box, said lid being pivoted on an axis oscillatory transversely to the plane of the face of the box, whereby it is adapted to adjust itself to its seat on the box, and a leaf-spring hearing at one end on the hinge-lug of the box and at the other end on the lid, said lug having a bearing-surface curved in a direction transverse to the length of the spring; substantially as described.

7. A journal-box having a hinge-lug provided with a bearing-surface curved in the direction of its length and adapted to receive a spring; substantially as described.

8. A journal-box lid having means for retaining the outer end of the spring, and having abridge or hood provided on its inner surface with walls adapted to confine the edges of the spring; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN \V. STEPIIENSOV.

\Vitnesses: J. W. LYONS,

THOMAS EMERY. 

